Engine head stand



July 11, 1961 KULP I 2,991,994

ENGINE HEAD STAND Filed April 19, 195'.

INVENTOR HARRY W. KULP ATTORNEY 2,991,994 .ENGINE HEAD STAND Harry W. Kulp, Lancaster, Pa., assignor to K-D Mfg. -Corp., Lancaster, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Apr. 19, 1957, Ser. No. 653,849 1 Claim. (Cl. 269133) This invention relates to a pair of stands for use in supporting work such as engine cylinder heads or blocks.

Apparatus of the type for supporting cylinder heads and blocks is not primarily new, but heretofore have been of heavy and costly construction. The usual design incorporates a pair of standards attached to a heavy base with means carried by the standards for supporting the engine block or cylinder head between them. These stands may be mounted on wheels or rollers or provided with a stationary base. For the most part they are large pieces of apparatus costing several hundred dollars and occupy considerable space when not being used.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a pair of simple stands which when used together form a complete support for a cylinder head, motor block or other type of work of this sort.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a pair of units which when not in use will occupy very little space and which are economical to manufacture and will perform the function of the heavier and more costly apparatus.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a pair of stands formed from sheet metal, with comparatively few parts and yet to provide a maximum in the way of an eflicient supporting apparatus for a cylinder head or similar piece of work.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a pair of identical units, each of which has a self-supporting base and carries a work receiving shelf which may be rotated through 360 and held at any angular position desired.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a pair of identical units which may be used as a cylinder head support and which will be light enough in construction so that the entire unit, together with the cylinder head, may be handled easily by one man without supporting jacks or wheels.

The invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the units used in conjunction with each other.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of one of the units.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of one of the units showing the parts disassembled.

Referring particularly to FIGURE 1, an engine block 10 is supported between a pair of stands '12 and 14. The cylinder head 10 is mounted on the two rotatable shelves of the stands 12 and 14 and may be turned to any angular position desired for working on the block at such jobs as valve seat grinding.

The stands are formed of a single piece of strap material bent to provide a base portion 16 and a pair of uprights 18 and 20. The base portion 16 is provided with holes 22 which may be used to secure the stand to a bench or base if desired. The stands themselves are self-supporting and need no base for stability. The uprights 18 and 20 are bent inward toward each other at 24 and 26 respectively and are secured to a circular head plate 28 by any suitable means such as riveting or welding. The head plate 28 is formed with a square central opening 30 which is located between the ends of the uprights 18 and 20.

A shelf formed with a substantially triangular shaped vertical portion 32 and a rectangular horizontal portion United States Patent 2,991,994 Patented July 11, 1961 Ice 2 34isrotatably mounted in the hole 30 by means of a bolt 36. The bolt 36 has an enlarged head 38 formed with an inward square boss 37,- as a-carriage bolt. The head plate receives the boss 37 in the square opening 30 which prevents turning of the bolt relative to the head plate and supporting uprights. The diagonal distance of the square boss 37 is equal to the diameter of the hole 39 in the supporting shelf permitting rotation of the shelf on the bolt. A nut 40 in the form of a socket fits the bolt 36 and when tightened bears against a washer 42 to securely hold the shelf at any angular position. The socket nut 40 is provided with a handle 43 which may be either permanent or removable. The horizontal portion 34 of the shelf is formed with rows of holes or slots 44 to receive a bolt 46 for supporting the Work at any desired position on the shelf.

The base 16 of the stand is located completely to one side of the vertical uprights 18 and 20 which is at an angle to the base 16 which is slightly less than so that when a weight is supported on the shelf there is a small force in the direction of the companion stand. This slight sloping of the uprights relative to the shelf gives the stand better balance when standing on work bench prior to mounting the head.

The stands forming part of this invention are light in weight and economical to manufacture. They have few parts and only one adjustment. The head 10 mounted on the horizontal portion 34 of the shelves by its own bolts is still sufficiently light to enable the mechanic to move the head without help. In the case where the head is cumbersome and too heavy for one man to handle, the stands may be bolted to the cylinder head when in an upside down position and simply rolled over to the position shown in FIGURE 1.

What is claimed is:

As a new product of manufacture, a device for supporting an elongate work piece such as an engine block to be repaired, said device comprising a pair of stands each fashioned to right angle configuration from an integral U-shaped blank struck from stiff plate metal to provide a horizontal base portion and a pair of legs extending upward from one end of the base portion, said stands being adapted to be fixedly secured to a floor or other supporting surface in spaced relation with their base portions inwardly directed toward each other; axially-apertured discs likewise struck from still plate metal and aflixed to the top ends of the legs of the respective stands at the inner sides of the latter; work sustaining hangers fashioned to angular configuration from integral blanks also struck from stiff plate metal and disposed at the insides of the respective standards and providing lateral shelves for supporting the work piece at opposite ends, the vertical portions of the respective hangers having aperture adjacent their tops and the shelves being perforated and over-reaching the inwardly directed bases of the stands; headed screw bolts with their shanks passed outwardly through the apertures in the hangers and in the respective discs at the tops of the stands; clamp nuts engaged upon the protruding ends of the bolt shanks adapted to bear against the outer faces of the respective discs aforesaid to secure the hangers in diiferent positions of adjustment about the axes of the bolts; and other headed bolts selectively engageable through perforations in the hanger shelves for releasably securing the work piece to the hangers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,127,969 Dolder Feb. 9, 1915 2,991,994 .4 9 3 4 1,277,532 Bpltner Sept. 3, 1913 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,233,538 Staley 1918 295014 Italy May 1932 1,481,503 CarSWeH et a1. Jan. 22, 1924 755 Gel-many Feb 12 1953 2,324,147 Weissert July 20, 1943 1,431,599 Shu1er 'Nov. 25, 1947 5 OTHER REFERENCES 2,536,239 Tyrfdall Jan. 2, 1951 Page 219, Avizitibhf'vol. '4'2,'No. 7,'Ju1 1943. 

